


Keeping You

by alnima



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Foster Care, In Niall's case an abusive past, Kid Fic, M/M, Niall Centric, Potty training issues, Temporarily Mute Character, Zaniam are children, Zaniam come from traumatic pasts, fears of abandonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-11
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 16:24:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/994043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alnima/pseuds/alnima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis and Harry bring in a new foster, and try to show him that it’s okay to be loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping You

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't know or own anyone. This work is my own and it is not featured on any other site, nor does anyone have my permission to repost it in its entirety. Thank you!!!
> 
> Warning update: Niall comes from an abusive past, so please keep that in mind if you choose to read this fic. If you have questions, please leave a comment and I will answer whatever you need to know! The abuse is in the past, but there are signs of it in the fic.

Louis sits at the kitchen table helping his two young sons finish their homework for school. Liam, seven and in the second grade, working hard on addition and subtraction. This is something that Louis can still help one of his kids out with. He can do seven plus seven and thirteen minus eight. It’s easy. He loves showing off his brain and wit by being able to help Liam solve problems he can’t do. He relishes in the smile that he gets in return for solving something correctly. 

It’s easy. He doesn’t have to get out his phone and look up how to work algebra like he does with Zayn’s homework and watch videos on the Internet of men standing in front of chalkboards trying to show him equations. Louis likes to think that he can remember being twelve, and he doesn’t think that it was ever this hard. Sixth grade shouldn’t be this hard. There shouldn’t be numbers with lines under them with even more numbers and letters underneath that equal to even more numbers and letters. 

Louis looks at Zayn’s math worksheet and shakes his head at the problems in front of him. He turns it to the side and tilts his head to the other side and squints his eyes a little. “I think,” Louis starts as he hands the paper back over to Zayn. “I think the answer to number seven is h.” 

He looks up and sees Zayn staring at him with his mouth open. “You can’t add numbers together and get letters. There isn’t even an h in this entire equation.”

“There isn’t?” Louis asks as he snatches to paper back from Zayn. “Oh wow. You’re right. Okay well maybe it’s five.”

“You’re horrible at this, Dad. Does Papa know how to do math?”

Louis looks into the kitchen and sees Harry chatting away on the phone as he makes dinner. “I have no idea, but he pays the bills and that usually requires some kind of numbers and stuff so he might be able to help you.” 

Zayn sighs and shakes his head. “Next time I get adopted I hope it’s by people who can do math.”

“Hey,” Louis says as he leans over the table to see how Liam is doing. “There isn’t going to be a next time. You’re stuck with me.”

“You don’t know that,” Zayn says. Louis frowns and looks at his son with sad eyes. 

Before they had adopted him, Zayn was transferred across the state and forced to live with nine different families. He was five when they adopted him and Louis can only imagine what it would be being constantly shifted around every time he got comfortable. But it’s seven years since he had come into their house as a foster and seven years since they gave up the idea of fostering Zayn and picked up the one of keeping him. 

Louis and Harry had decided that they wanted to dive into the world of being foster parents since they never knew if they wanted to be parents of their own, but they thought that with a big house and plenty of empty bedrooms with love to spare it only made sense that they’d take in children without families and homes. They thought it would be easy that kids would come in and stay with them until they found their forever home or a place for children to find a home when they had nothing else... Only children who entered their house turned out to never leave. 

Zayn came seven years ago and after three months with him they called the state and demanded that he be adopted as theirs. Louis would have thought that by now he’d understand he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Louis stands up and wraps his arms around Zayn in a hug and kisses the side of his head. “I promise that I do know, and that you’re not leaving, got it?”

Zayn nods his head and returns the hug with full force before pushing father off of him and going back to his homework sheets. 

“What about me?” Louis looks up and sees Liam smiling at him, showing off his missing tooth. “Am I stuck with you?”

Louis pretends to think about it for a minute. “What do you think, Zayn? Can Liam stick around?”

Zayn looks up at his little brother who is chewing on his bottom lip nervously. “Yeah we can keep him.”

“Looks like you’re stuck with me, Liam.” 

Liam smiles brightly and goes back to doing his worksheet. 

It’s been six years with Liam. He came when he was only a year old after his parents were arrested for charges that they were never given permission to know about. They were told that Liam probably wouldn’t be with them long since they were positive that his mother wouldn’t get convicted at least since the evidence wasn’t solid, but that wasn’t the case. Louis has no idea how long they were sentenced or where they are right now but after a year and a half they filed for adoption and Liam became officially theirs. 

Two foster kids turned into two adopted kids and Louis thinks that’s probably why they haven’t ever been called back to take in anyone else. What good is a foster house if they won’t let the kids leave?

~~~~~ 

Harry corners Louis after dinner while Liam is in the bath, and Zayn takes a shower in their bathroom. 

“Someone called us while you were helping the boys with their homework,” Harry says as he looks around the corner to make sure Liam is okay in the tub. 

“I know. I saw you talking on the phone,” Louis replies casually.

“They were calling to see if we’d be interested in taking in another foster. Another little boy.” 

Louis takes a step back and blinks rapidly at Harry. “What’d you tell them?”

“I didn’t say anything. I tried to tell them that we needed to talk about it. It’s been six years since we took anyone else in, and we all know how that turns out. But I said we would need to talk it out because I’m not sure how the boys will like it and what your thoughts on it are. I mean you’re in between jobs so if he’s young enough then you’d be home with him all day.”

“What did they say?”

“Well they said they’d give us time to talk about it, but,” Harry pauses and begins to chew on his bottom lip. “But they said he’d be here tomorrow evening.”

“Jesus,” Louis says as he lets out a deep breath. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“You were helping the boys with their homework and then it was dinner and now is the first chance that I’ve gotten. Would you have really wanted to find out at the same time as them?”

“No, no, you’re right,” Louis says with a firm nod. He steps forward and wraps his arms around Harry. “Do you want to do this?”

“Lou,” Harry starts as he wraps his arms around his partner, “we both know if we do this that he’ll end up coming here and staying here. We both know that. But he’s coming here regardless because they said tomorrow around five they’ll have him here. So it doesn’t really matter what I want to do.”

“It does. Do you want to take in a third?”

Harry pulls away and cups Louis’ face in his hands and takes a deep breath. “If you’re willing then so am I.”

Louis nods and leans up to kiss Harry gently. “Three sons?”

“Three sons,” Harry says with a smile. 

Louis steps up again to kiss Harry, slow and steady with the firm press of lips and the clean swipe of his tongue along Harry’s mouth. It barely lasts a minute before, 

“Papa! Come and clean my hair.”

Louis pulls away breathless and pats Harry lightly on the cheek. “Get going, Papa, Liam isn’t going to take no for an answer.”

Harry laughs and pulls away to make his way to the bathroom. He pauses outside the door and turns back to look at Louis. “Three.”

“Yeah…three,” Louis replies as he watches Harry disappear. 

~~~~~ 

The next night Louis watches carefully as he gauges each of his sons’ reactions. They’ve just told them about the new addition and the room has been silent for five minutes. 

Zayn is staring intently at the fine grain of wood along the tabletop while Liam whips his head around back and forth between the members of his family. Harry is chewing on his bottom lip and clasping his fingers together tightly in his lap as he pleads with Louis with his eyes to make something, anything, happen. 

“Zayn?” Louis starts. “Do you want to say something?”

Zayn shakes his head. 

“Liam?”

“I don’t understand,” Liam says. 

“They’re letting some kid move in here,” Zayn says. “They made us do our homework so Papa could talk to some people about getting a new kid. They’re tired of us so they want a new one.” Zayn stands up and slams the chair against the table as he runs up towards his bedroom. They hear feet stomping against the staircase before the sound of door being slammed shut. 

“That’s not true, Liam,” Harry says. “We’re not trying to replace you.” 

Liam nods his head and looks up at Louis. 

“Some boys and girls are born to parents that aren’t supposed to be parents or can't be parents, like you and Zayn. You were both born to different parents. But some people like me and Papa want to help those kids. You know how Papa and I took you both in and then we adopted you?” Liam nods. “Well this little boy his parents aren’t able to take care of him anymore so these people called us and asked us to let him come here because we’re good parents and we already have two little boys so they know he’s going to be okay here.”

“He doesn’t have a family?” Liam asks.

“No, baby,” Harry explains. “He doesn’t have a family, not anymore. He doesn’t have a mommy anymore. He doesn’t have any daddies like you do or a big brother like you do.”

“So he’s coming here to get daddies and a big brother?”

“He doesn’t have a home and even if he doesn’t stay forever like you and Zayn are he needs a place to sleep and food and someone to take care of him,” Harry replies. 

“Then why is Zayn upset?”

The sound of the doorbell cuts Louis off from answering. He shares a look with Harry and they know this is the little boy they’re going to be taking in. Harry stands up from the table and motions for Liam to do the same. He takes his hand and heads out of the kitchen. Louis takes a deep breath before following. 

When Louis gets to the front door Harry already has it pulled open and is talking to an older woman in a burgundy dress suit with her hair pulled up in a tight knot. He’s nodding along and Louis waits until the conversation is over and Harry steps back to allow for a small blonde boy to enter the house. He stands in the doorway clutching a stuffed rabbit to his chest and a small yellow backpack hanging off his small shoulders. Harry takes a bag from the social worker and gently closes the door. 

“Louis, this is Niall. He’s three.”

~~~~~ 

Louis knocks on the door three times before he pulls it open. 

He looks around the room and finds Zayn perched in the window with his head resting against the glass. He closes the door softly behind him and sits down across from his son. He doesn’t say anything just shifts his eyes out of the window and waits for Zayn to talk. 

It’s quiet for several minutes until, “Is he here?”

“Yeah, he is,” Louis replies. 

“What’s he like?”

“He’s small. He’s only three and he’s really quiet. Hasn’t said a word since he got here. He’s taking a nap on the couch while your dad and Liam are at the store trying to get him some things so we can convert the guest room for him.”

“He’s scared,” Zayn says. “He doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

“Yeah,” Louis says as he looks at Zayn. “Kind of like you.”

“I wasn’t scared when I came here.”

“No, but you’re scared now.”

Zayn turns his gaze away from the window and looks at Louis. 

“How long have you been here and you’re worried that we’re going to kick you out now? I already told you that you’re stuck with me. You’re not leaving, and if you do leave well then I’ll just have to follow. We’re not tired of you, and we never could be. But you remember what it’s like not having your parents around anymore. He’s little and scared. Do you think that you could remember that and be nice to him when you meet him?”

Zayn nods his head and crawls across the window seat so he can wrap himself around his father. “I just don’t want to leave,” Zayn mumbles.

“You won’t. Liam won’t. Papa won’t. I won’t.”

“What about the new kid?”

“He probably won’t leave either,” Louis says. “Your Papa and I aren’t very good at letting people go, are we?”

“No,” Zayn says with a laugh. “You’re really bad at it.” 

~~~~~ 

Niall hasn’t spoken to any of them since he’s walked in their front door. He sits on the couch and doesn’t talk. He only watches. 

Harry explained to Louis that the social worker said he’s shy and he’ll warm up eventually. He was taken from his parents four days ago and he’s still a bit jumpy about being around new people. He was staying at a boys’ home but he was so young that they wanted to transfer him out to live with a family until he was ready for adoption. 

Louis rolls his eyes when he hears the ‘ready for adoption’ because he knows that Niall isn’t going anywhere. They’re going to keep him and that was the case before Harry even hung up the phone yesterday evening. Keeping Niall is the only option, and they’re okay with it. He thinks even the social worker knew they’d keep Niall. 

Harry comes home with bags and bags and bags of clothes, shoes, bedding, toys and everything else imaginable for a small child and drops them down in the living room. 

“Niall, do you want to see your new things?” He asks as he settles down on the couch close to, but not next to the little boy. 

Niall’s eyes go wide and he sinks further into the couch and white knuckles his grip on his bunny. 

“I’ll show him, Papa,” Liam says as he rips open a bag. “These are your new sneakers. Those ones are dirty,” Liam says as he points to the ripped, dirt caked shoes on Niall’s feet. “And we got you this coat since it’s fall and you gotta wear a coat. It’s blue, is that okay?”

Niall doesn’t say anything just reaches out for the bag carefully for the bag filled with toys. 

“Oh,” Liam shouts when he sees Niall’s peeked interest in something. “I picked these out.” Liam rips the bag open and begins dumping toys on the furniture next to Niall. “We have this toy dinosaur, some books because everyone loves books. Papa picked out these two stuffed animals for you since you already got one and he said maybe you could use some more. We also got this doctors kit in case you want to play doctor, and a cash register if you want to play storekeeper. And of course some blocks and the best thing ever,” Liam says as he reaches around the couch and points towards a big box. “It’s a bike. You sit on it on push yourself around the house with your legs.”

Niall doesn’t say anything still but he manages to reach out and take the stuffed monkey and frog from the pile and look at them with interest before settling them in his lap. 

The family sits and watches on as Liam continues to unload the entire shopping trip onto the couch and explains to Niall what each item is even though Niall won’t talk. 

“He’s really quiet,” Zayn whispers into Louis’ ear. “Do you think he’ll ever talk?”

Louis goes to reply but is cut off by the sound of Harry cursing. 

“What happened?” Louis asks. He looks up and sees Niall’s lip trembling and his cheeks red as tears cascade down them. He’s not making any noise but it’s unmistakable that he’s crying. Harry and Liam are working quickly to remove the piles of stuff from around Niall. 

“Why is he crying?” Zayn asks. 

“He peed himself on the couch, Dad.”

Louis jumps up instantly and reaches over the back of the couch to grab Niall and carry him up the stairs and towards the bathroom. He tries his best to soothe Niall as he races up the stairs with his entire family in tow. 

He begins to run the bath while Harry helps Niall out of his wet clothes and dumps the soaps he carried up on the floor next to the tub.

“He’s obviously not potty trained,” Louis says as he plugs the tub and turns the water on. “That, or he was too afraid to ask.”

“Lou,” Harry starts and Louis turns around and gasps when he sees Niall. 

He’s standing in the middle of the bathroom completely naked with his head hung low and his arms flat against his side. There are bruises littering his pale skin, blue and purple circles scattered across his legs and arms. Irregular shaped ones along his back that Louis fleetingly thinks resemble a closed fist. His upper right arm has a handprint bruise wrapped around the skin to match the one around his left ankle. Louis doesn’t let himself think about how hard you have to grip someone in order to leave a bruise. He doesn’t let himself think about how hard and how long you have to hit someone in order to leave bruises along the entire surface of their skin until they’re no longer a milky white but transformed into a canvas of yellows, greens, blues and purples. 

There are raw red dots along Niall’s stomach and Louis feels bile rise up in his throat at the realization that they’re burns. 

“What happened to him?” Liam asks. 

Louis is snapped out his thoughts at the sound of his son’s voice. “Harry…Harry, take Zayn and Liam downstairs. I’ll clean Niall.”

He can’t take his eyes off Niall but he hears Harry clear his throat and sees him hesitate with Niall before picking Liam and dragging Zayn out by the wrist. 

“Niall?” Louis starts when the bathroom door closes softly behind him. “I’m going to pick you up and put you in the bathtub is that okay?”

Niall lets out a shaky breath but nods his head slightly so Louis reaches out and gingerly picks the boy up so he can lower him into the tub. 

Niall sits down and places his hands in his lap but doesn’t look at Louis. Louis takes a deep breath and grabs the washcloth Harry brought up along with the soaps and shampoos. He squirts soap onto the cloth and passes it to Niall. 

“Can you clean your own body?”

Niall looks up with wide eyes and takes the cloth from Louis. He rubs his the fabric along his body and watches Louis to make sure he’s doing everything okay. 

“Good job,” Louis praises as he pours shampoo into his hand. “I’m going to wash your hair, but you’re okay. I promise that you’re okay and I won’t hurt you.”

Niall flinches momentarily when Louis' fingers make contact with his head but he relaxes slightly as Louis massages the shampoo into his hair. 

~~~~~ 

Niall has been with them for a week and still hasn’t spoken to any of them. 

He sits on the couch and watches as Zayn plays video games and Liam reads books. He watches through the glass of the backdoor as Zayn and Liam run around the backyard, tossing fallen leaves at each other. 

He stands in the doorway of Harry’s office and watches him type invoices up on the computer. 

He hides behind the counter and sticks his head out when Louis cooks meals. 

When he’s alone with Louis while Harry’s at work and the boys are at school he’ll sit on the couch with his stuffed animals and stare at Louis while he watches TV or does the laundry. 

Niall doesn’t ever say anything, just watches them all closely. 

It’s gotten the past the point of having to tell or ask Niall what they’re going to do him. They don’t have to explain to him what they’re doing in the bath or how they’re going to help him get dressed. They don’t need permission to do thing anymore. Niall’s accepted the help that they offer him and they try to make sure their action are the same everyday so Niall’s trust will remain. 

He doesn’t talk but he’s not afraid of them or their touch so they consider it a step in some direction towards right. 

~~~~~ 

Louis wakes to the sound of quiet sniffles and shuttering breathing. He blinks his eyes open slowly as he tries to find the source of the sound, it’s so faint that he thinks he might still be dreaming. He casts his eyes around the room and doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Harry is still lying next to him with his mouth open and his arms thrown out wide, and there is no one else in the room besides them until he notices the moonlight casting down on the golden hair of Niall’s head. 

Louis jerks awake, properly and suddenly, when he connects the dots that it’s Niall sniffling and crying next to his bed at two thirty in the morning. 

“Niall?” Louis calls as he carefully extracts himself from bed. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Niall lets out a choked noise and Louis knows he shouldn’t have asked because he won’t get an answer. He reaches out and grabs a hold of Niall’s hand so he can guide the little boy out into the hallway. He shuts the door behind him and feels around for the light switch so he can turn the light on. 

As soon the lights flick on he looks down at Niall and sees not only are his cheeks wet but also the pants he’s wearing along with the entire backside of his shirt. 

“Oh, Ni,” Louis says in a sympathetic voice before he takes Niall into the bathroom to get him cleaned up. 

He strips Niall of his clothes carefully before tossing them in the sink to prevent the liquid from getting into anything else. Niall is still sniffling and tears are silently rolling down his cheeks as his entire body shakes. Louis feels nothing but sympathy for the little boy so instead of running him a bath he simply wets a cloth under the sink and gently drags it across Niall’s skin where the urine covered. 

He’s not completely clean, but it’s enough for now. 

He leaves Niall standing in the bathroom while he runs back into Niall’s room for clean underwear. He goes into his room to get Niall one of his own pajama shirts that’ll cover Niall’s body without being difficult to take off in the event of another accident.

He makes his way back into the bathroom and makes a mental note to remind Harry they’re going to need pull ups for bed from now on. 

He kneels down in front of Niall and helps him step into the underwear before he pulls the shirt over Niall’s head. He’s helping Niall work his arms into the holes when Niall speaks. 

“Sorry,” Niall mumbles and it breaks his heart to know that Niall’s first word with them was an apology. 

Louis clears his throat and tilts Niall’s chin up so he’s looking at Louis. “You don’t need to be sorry. It’s an accident, and accidents don’t need apologies. Okay?”

Niall nods his head and huffs out a breath as he tried to regain himself. Louis smiles sadly as he watches Niall rub at his eyes and try to stop the tears from falling. Louis doesn’t know anything about Niall’s past but he has a sneaking suspicion that whatever happened this was something that got Niall yelled at or maybe even hit. 

Louis reaches out and pulls Niall into his arms and presses a kiss to the boy’s head and carries him down the hall and back towards his bedroom. Niall has his head resting against Louis shoulder as he carries him towards the bed. He pulls the blankets back and lays Niall down carefully next to Harry who mumbles in his sleep, rubbing his hand against his face before he reaches out and grabs onto Niall in his sleep. 

Niall for his part doesn’t seem to mind the fact he’s sleeping in their bed or that Harry has an arm wrapped around him. He simply looks at Louis one last time before closing his eyes and tucking his face into the pillow. 

~~~~~ 

After that Niall slowly starts transitioning himself into their family. 

He’ll sit on the couch next to Zayn while he plays video games and occasionally he’ll reach over and press a button on the controller and let out small giggles when Zayn groans about losing. But sometimes he crawl next to Liam and wait for him to read the book out loud so they can read together. And when they go outside to run around and play in the fallen leaves Niall will chase after them.

Or when he stumbles into Harry’s office instead of standing in the doorway he’ll crawl into Harry’s lap and watch him type up invoices on the computer. 

He sits on the counter and helps Louis cook meals, and helps Louis do the laundry. 

He’s not as comfortable and outgoing as Zayn and Liam are when they’re inside the house but he’s opening up. 

At night he’ll accept the bath he’s given without flinching when their hands hover over his head. Louis always wakes up to the feeling of Niall pulling himself into their bed and crawling across his chest so he can settle in next to Harry. On the nights that he doesn’t sleep with them he’ll wake up with a soaked bed and wet clothes. 

Except for tonight. 

Tonight Louis wakes up to the sound of Harry’s voice and the gentle tug of his arm. 

“Lou? Lou, babe, wake up.”

Louis groans and throws his hand out to shove at Harry’s weight on the other side of the bed. He winds up just waving an arm around in the air before dropping it back down and tugging it under his cheek between the pillow and his skin. “Not in the mood right now, Harry. It’s sleeping time,” He mumbles.

Harry lets out a breathless laugh and shoves at Louis shoulder again at the exact moment that Louis hears the tell tale sign of Niall’s sniffles. 

“What happened?” Louis asks as he rolls over to face the other two. As soon as his body is adjusted in the new position Niall flies forward and latches onto Louis neck and cries into the material of his shirt. 

“I could hear him crying in his room and I found him under his bed,” Harry explains and he scoots closer. “He won’t say what happened.”

“Niall, can you come tell us what’s wrong? We can’t fix it unless we know what happened?”

Niall shakes his head and tightens his grip on Louis’ neck as he continues to sob into his shirt. Harry frowns and cuddles closer so they’re enveloping Niall in between them as they whisper soft reassurances and rub his back gently. 

He settles down after twenty long minutes of crying into Louis chest but they don’t force him into talking. Instead they continue to whisper soft words to him until he says, “I leave.”

“What?” Harry asks as he looks up at Louis. 

“I leave and it Niall.”

The words seem to click in both Harry and Louis’ mind at the same time because they both give each other the same look that they know what is going on. Niall had a nightmare about waking up alone and that Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis weren’t there anymore. He had a dream this family abandoned him like he was his last one because at three years old it’s impossible to understand that being removed from the other family was the only option in his life. Niall hasn’t made the connection yet that they’re different. He knows his last family scared him and hurt him and this one doesn’t but when you’re three years old you don’t understand why.

“Don’t want bye-bye,” Niall says with a shuddering breath. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Harry explains. “You’re going to stay here, and we’re not going to go anywhere either.”

“You’ll be here just like Zayn and Liam,” Louis reassures. 

“Stay. Papa and Daddy,” Niall says as he blinks up with Louis with sad blue eyes that are shining with tears. “Stay.”

“You’re always going to stay here. We’re never going to let you leave,” Louis confirms.

“We’re going to keep you, is that all right?” Harry asks as he kisses the back of Niall’s head. 

Niall nods and loosens his grip around Louis’ neck and rolls over so he can look at Harry. He nods once more so Harry can see him and attaches himself onto Harry. “Yeah,” Niall says into the skin on Harry’s neck. “Keep. Stay.”


End file.
